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Telecommuting: why doesn't it appeal to everyone?
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Johanna
12/11/2024
Hybrid work
Telecommuting: why doesn't it appeal to everyone?
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Once associated with a lack of efficiency and productivity, telecommuting is now firmly established in many French companies. According to a study by the French Ministry of Labor, by 2022, almost 30% of French employees will be teleworking at least one day a week.
For a variety of reasons, and in the absence of a clear agreement, many managers still refuse to integrate this way of working into their employees' working habits, not least because of concerns about data security.
In this article, we explain how telecommuting can benefit both employees and the company.
Why telecommute?
Benefits of working from home for employees
For employees, it's a real salary advantage. Telecommuting is often synonymous with freedom and flexibility in terms of working hours and location.
They can, for example, choose the length of their lunch break or take a walk to clear their minds. Free to manage their working hours, they can start work very early in the morning and finish mid-afternoon, or vice versa.
Teleworkers can also carry out their professional activity in an area far from the office, provided that they are aware of the time difference. When employees work from abroad, the distance should be set out in the company's telecommuting policy, often formalized in a charter. You should also check the maximum number of days authorized for teleworking per year in the host country.
In addition to this day-to-day flexibility, another advantage is the reduction in commuting times and time spent in transport. Employees experience less stress, save money and save a considerable amount of time.
There's no doubt about it: teleworking improves employee well-being!
The benefits of telecommuting for businesses
A modern employer brand attracts (and retains) top talent more easily. Because it promotes employee well-being, telecommuting significantly enhances the employer brand. This practice enables them to achieve a better work-life balance.
By prioritizing soft and hard skills over geographical proximity, managers who opt for this new organizational model find it easier to engage their employees. Appreciated for their true worth, they are more motivated and more inclined to invest themselves in the company.
Another advantage for the company is the lower occupancy rate. By reducing the company's work surface, managers save on real-estate charges, which represent a significant expense. The telecommuting allowance is also a major advantage!
What are the risks of telecommuting?
A management style unsuited to the face-to-face-telephone mix
The managerial framework of a traditional company is primarily designed to manage face-to-face employees. This is why it can be difficult to manage remote teams properly. To remedy this problem, we need to change our management methods and adapt them to this new way of working, taking into account time use, the tools we use, data management and the specificities of each job.
Here are the keys to effective hybrid management:
- Strengthen team cohesion through corporate culture
- Monitor employee workloads
- Manage the balance between collective and individual work time by following the appropriate advice.
Managers in trouble
Surveys carried out after the Covid pandemic were very revealing. 4 out of 10 managers said they had had a difficult time implementing telecommuting following the health crisis that led to the first lockdown in 2020.
These testimonials reveal the existence of limits to this practice. They encourage company managers to look at how to prevent the risks associated with telecommuting, particularly in terms of access to information and how employees can access the data they need to carry out their tasks.
The lack of equipment in the home office environment
Not all employees are equipped to work properly from home. A lack of equipment can lead to burnout. At this point, the employee loses motivation, commitment and productivity.
In France, 76% of employees consider that they benefit from good conditions when they telework. The remaining 24% say that their teleworking equipment is not ergonomic enough: a single screen, an uncomfortable office chair, a desk that's too small, a workspace that's not conducive to concentration... What's more, at home, the quality of the internet network and access to IT services, such as video meetings, or the use of certain applications and platforms, are often limited, which can hinder their efficiency.
Lack of social interaction
Remote working doesn't completely cut off social dialogue within an organization, but it can considerably reduce it, despite the use of communication tools. Away from their colleagues, some employees experience a sense of exclusion, or even a lack of belonging to the company, which affects their self-esteem.
Teleworking alone at home all week can be a difficult experience. After a few months of telecommuting, some employees feel isolated. This can be detrimental to their mental health, affecting production and motivation. To prevent this from happening, it's important to follow the right advice, in particular by developing regular communication channels, such as online meetings, to maintain links and reinforce social cohesion.
Towards a hybrid work model?
By alternating between face-to-face and remote work, hybrid work better meets employees' needs for flexibility and user-friendliness.
Given the many advantages of teleworking, companies can't ban it. But to avoid damaging team cohesion, they can offer two alternatives:
- Flex office: employees do not have a dedicated workspace.
- Coworking: employees work in a shared space.
Combined, these modes of working offer a professional environment tailored to employees' needs. They are free to choose the one that best suits their tasks at any given time.
Combined with new ways of working such as flex office or coworking, telecommuting is highly beneficial for companies. Hybridization of work is a good compromise for employees, as it offers both face-to-face and remote working. However, this new form of organization requires a revision of employment contracts, as the performance of remote tasks must comply with certain legal obligations, particularly in terms of the Labor Code and compliance with the law. By following good telecommuting practices, you'll boost your performance!
To ensure the transition from traditional to hybrid working, it is necessary to guarantee equitable access to resources and tools for all employees. We also need to support managers, providing them with advice and answers, helping them adapt their leadership styles, and transforming spaces to meet everyone's needs and constraints.
